[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1968-1972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-756]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission

January 7, 1998.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection(s), as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. An agency may not 
conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection

[[Page 1969]]

of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does 
not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning: 
(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including 
whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before March 16, 
1998. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Judy Boley, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room 234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via 
internet to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Judy Boley at 202-418-0214 or 
via internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0320.
    Title: Section 73.1350, Transmission System Order.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit; not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 417.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 0.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Total Annual Burden: 209 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Section 73.1350(g) requires licensees to submit a 
notification to the FCC in Washington, DC whenever a transmission 
system control point is established at a location other than at the 
main studio or transmitter within 3 days of the initial use of that 
point. This notification is not required if responsible station 
personnel can be contacted at the transmitter or studio site during 
hours of operation. The data is used by FCC staff to maintain complete 
operating information regarding licensees to be used in the event that 
FCC field staff needs to contact the station about interference.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0630.
    Title: Section 73.62, Directional Antenna System Tolerances.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit; not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 750.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 4.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Total Annual Burden: 3,375 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Section 73.62(b) requires an AM station with a 
directional antenna system to measure and log every monitoring point at 
least once for each mode of directional operation within 24 hours of 
detection of variance of operating parameters from allowed tolerances. 
The data is used by station engineers to correct the operating 
parameters of the directional antenna. The data is also used by FCC 
staff in field investigations to ensure that stations are in compliance 
with the technical requirements of the Commission's rules.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0634.
    Title: Section 73.691, Visual Modulation Monitoring.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit; not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 70 (2 notifications per respondent).
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1.0 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Total Annual Burden: 70 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Section 73.691(b) requires TV stations to enter 
into the station log the date and time of the initial technical 
problems that make it impossible to operate a TV station in accordance 
with the timing and carrier level tolerance requirements. If this 
operation at variance is expected to exceed 10 consecutive days, a 
notification must be sent to the FCC. The licensee must also notify the 
FCC upon restoration of normal operations. If causes beyond the control 
of the licensee prevent restoration of normal operations within 30 
days, a written request must be made to the FCC. The data is used by 
FCC staff to maintain accurate and complete technical information about 
a station's operation. In the event that a complaint is received from 
the public regarding a station's operation, this information is 
necessary to provide an accurate response.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0804.
    Title: Universal Service--Health Care Providers Universal Service 
Program.
    Form No.: FCC Forms 465, 466, 467, and 468.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 15,400.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 2.5 hours per response (avg.).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 117,000 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 465 ``Description of Services Requested 
and Certification.'' All health care providers requesting services 
eligible for universal service support must file a ``Description of 
Services and Certification'' form with the Administrator. Filing this 
form is the first step health care providers must take to participate 
in the universal service program. The Administrator will then post a 
description of the services sought on a website for all potential 
competing service providers to see and respond to as if they were 
requests for proposals (RFPs). 47 CFR 54.603(b)(2), 47 CFR 54.615(c). 
FCC Form 466 ``Services Ordered and Certification.'' All health care 
providers ordering services that are eligible for universal service 
support must file a ``Services Ordered and Certification'' form with 
the Administrator. 47 CFR 54.603(b)(4). Form 466, ``Services Ordered 
and Certification,'' will be used to ensure health care providers have 
selected the most cost-effective method of providing the requested 
services as set forth in 47 CFR 54.603(b)(4). FCC Form 466 is also the 
means by which an applicant informs the Administrator that it has 
entered a contract with a telecommunications service provider for 
services that are supported under the universal services support 
program. The administrator must receive this form before it can commit 
universal service funds to support the services for which the applicant 
has contracted. FCC Form 467 ``Receipt of Service Confirmation.'' All 
health care providers that are receiving supported telecommunications 
service must file this form with the Administrator. The data in the 
report will be used to ensure that health care providers are receiving 
the services they have contracted for with telecommunications service 
providers so that universal service support may be appropriate to the

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telecommunications service provider pursuant to 47 CFR 54.611. FCC Form 
468 ``Telecommunications Service Providers Support.'' All health care 
providers ordering services eligible for universal service support must 
file this form. The data in the report will be used to ensure that 
health care providers have calculated the amount of universal service 
support as set forth in 47 CFR 54.609(b). Telecommunications carriers 
must complete Form 468 by indicating the rural and urban rates for the 
services they have provided and the amount of the discount for which 
they must be reimbursed, and return it to the health care provider. The 
health care provider must attach it to Form 466 and file both forms 
with the administrator. These forms are used to administer the health 
care providers universal service program. The information is used 
primarily to determine eligibility.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0806.
    Title: Universal Service--Schools and Libraries Universal Service 
Program.
    Form No.: FCC Forms 470 and 471.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 12 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 600,000 hours.
    Cost to Respondent: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: On May 8, 1997, the Commission adopted rules in CC 
Docket No. 96-45 providing discounts on all telecommunications 
services, Internet access, and internal connections for all eligible 
schools and libraries. The following forms are used to implement these 
requirements and obligations: a. FCC Form 470 ``Description of Services 
Requested and Certification.'' Schools and libraries ordering 
telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections 
under the universal service discount program must submit a description 
of the services desired to the Administrator. Schools and libraries may 
use the same description they use to meet the requirement that they 
generally face to solicit competitive bids. The Administrator will then 
post a description of the services sought on a website for all 
potential competing service providers to see and respond to as if they 
were requests for proposals (RFPs). b. FCC Form 471 ``Services Ordered 
and Certification.'' Schools and libraries that have ordered 
telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections 
under the universal service discount program must file FCC Form 471 
with the Administrator. This form requires schools and libraries to 
indicate whether the funds are being requested for an existing 
contract, a master contract or whether it wishes to terminate service. 
Form 471 requires schools and libraries to list all services that have 
been ordered and the corresponding discount to which it is entitled. 
The school or library must also estimate its funding needs for the 
current funding year and for the following funding year. All schools 
and libraries planning to order services eligible for universal service 
discounts must file FCC Forms 470 and 471. The purpose of this 
information is to help determine which schools are eligible for the 
greater discounts. Schools and libraries must certify to the 
administrator that they have developed an approved technology plan via 
Form 470.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0807.
    Title: 47 CFR Section 51.803 and Supplemental Procedures for 
Petitions Pursuant to Section 252(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 40.8 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,040 hours.
    Cost to Respondent: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: Any interested party seeking preemption of a state 
commission's jurisdiction based on the state commission's failure to 
act shall notify the Commission as follows: (1) File with the Secretary 
of the Commission a detailed petition, supported by an affidavit, that 
states with specificity the basis for any claim that it has failed to 
act; and (2) serve the state commission and other parties to the 
proceeding on the same day that the party serves the petition on the 
Commission. Within 15 days of the filing of the petition, the state 
commission and parties to the proceeding may file a response to the 
petition. In a Public Notice (DA 97-2540), the Commission sets out 
procedures for filing petitions for preemption pursuant to section 
252(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. (a) Filing of 
Petitions for Preemption. Each party seeking preemption should caption 
its preemption petition, ``Petition of {Petitioner's Name} pursuant to 
Section 252(e)(5) of the Communications Act (the Act).'' In addition, 
on the date of the petition's filing, the petitioner should serve a 
copy of the petition by hand delivery on the Common Carrier Bureau, and 
send a copy to the Commission's contractor for public service records 
duplication. Section 51.803(a)(2) of the Commission's rules requires 
each party seeking preemption pursuant to section 252(e)(5) to ``ensure 
that the state commission and the other parties to the proceeding or 
matter for which preemption is sought are served with the petition * * 
* on the same date that the petitioning party serves the petition on 
the Commission.'' Therefore, each section 252(e)(5) petition should 
state in its certificate of service the steps it is taking to comply 
with this requirement (e.g., hand delivery or overnight mail). 
Petitions seeking preemption must be supported by affidavit and state 
with specificity the basis for the petition and any information that 
supports the claim that the state has failed to act. Each petitioner 
should append to its petition the full text of any State commission 
decision regarding the proceeding or other matter giving rise to the 
petition as well as the relevant portions of any transcripts, letters, 
or other documents on which the petitioner relies. Each petitioner 
should also provide a chronology of that proceeding or matter that 
lists, along with any other relevant dates, the date the petitioner 
requested interconnection, services, or network elements pursuant to 
section 251 of the Act, the dates of any requests for mediation or 
arbitration pursuant to section 252(a)(2) or (b)(1), and the dates of 
any arbitration decisions in connection with the proceeding or matter. 
(b) Submission of Written Comments by Interested Third Parties. 
Interested third parties may file comments on a preemption petition in 
accordance with a public notice to be issued by the Commission. All of 
the requirements are used to ensure that petitioners have complied with 
their obligations under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0253.
    Title: Part 68--Connection of Telephone Equipment to the Telephone 
Network (Sections 68.106, 68.108, 68.110).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 57,540.

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    Estimated Time Per Response: .057 hours per response (avg).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 3,280 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: Part 68 sets forth the terms and conditions for 
connection and for the registration of customer provided terminal 
equipment. The purpose of part 68 is to protect the network from 
certain types of harm and interference to other subscribers. Section 
68.106 requires customers connecting terminal equipment or protective 
circuitry to the telephone network to provide, upon request, the 
particular line(s) to which such connection is made, the FCC 
registration number and ringer equivalence numbers necessary to the 
telephone company. Section 68.108 requires telephone companies to 
notify customers of possible discontinuance of service when customer's 
equipment is malfunctioning and to inform them of their right to file a 
complaint. Section 68.110 requires telephone companies to provide 
technical information concerning inter-face parameters not specified in 
Part 68 and to notify customers of changes in telephone company 
facilities, equipment, operations or procedures where such changes can 
be reasonably expected to render any customer's terminal equipment 
incompatible with the telephone company's communication facilities.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0810.
    Title: Procedures for Designation of Eligible Telecommunications 
Carriers Pursuant to Section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, states.
    Number of Respondents: 35.
    Estimated Time per Response: 47 hours per response (avg.).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,650 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: The Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the 
Act), mandates that, after the date the Commission's rules implementing 
section 254 of the Act, only eligible telecommunications carriers may 
receive universal service support. The Commission's rules implementing 
section 254 of the Act take effect on January 1, 1998. Under the Act, 
state commissions must designate telecommunications carriers as 
eligible. On December 1, 1997 Public Law 105-125 added subsection 
(e)(6) to section 214(e) of the Act. New section 214(e)(6) states that 
a telecommunications carrier that is not subject to the jurisdiction of 
a state may request that the Commission determine whether it is 
eligible. Specifically, section 214(e)(6) states that ``[i]n the case 
of a common carrier * * * that is not subject to the jurisdiction of a 
State commission, the Commission shall upon request designate such a 
common carrier that meets the requirements of paragraph (1) as an 
eligible telecommunications carrier for a service area designated by 
the Commission * * *.'' The Commission must evaluate whether such 
telecommunications carriers, almost all of which are expected to be 
companies owned by Native American tribes, meet the eligibility 
criteria set forth in the Act. a. Petition for Designation as Eligible 
Telecommunications Carriers Pursuant to Section 214(e)(6). Carriers 
seeking designation from the Commission pursuant to section 214(e)(6) 
must demonstrate that they fulfill the requirements of section 
214(e)(1). Carriers seeking designation from the Commission early in 
1998 are instructed to provide specific information. See Public Notice, 
FCC 97-219, released 12/29/97. (No. of respondents: 25; hours per 
response: 58; total annual hours: 1450 hours). b. Submission of Written 
Comments by Interested Third Parties. Oppositions or comments on 
petitions are due 10 days after a Public Notice announcing receipt of a 
petition is released. Reply comments are due 7 days after comments are 
due. (No. of respondents: 10; hours per response: 20 hours; total 
annual burden: 200 hours). The Commission will use the information 
collected to determine whether the telecommunications carriers 
providing the data are eligible to receive universal service support.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0802.
    Title: Administration of the North American Numbering Plan, Order 
on Reconsideration, CC Docket No. 92-237 (Message Intercept 
Requirement).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,400.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 9 hours per response (avg.).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 12,600 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: In response to concern expressed in the 
reconsideration record that LECs should develop intercept messages to 
inform dial-around customers that they need to dial additional digits, 
the Order on Reconsideration in CC Docket No. 92-237 requires that LECs 
offer a standard intercept message beginning on or before June 30, 
1998, explaining that a dialing pattern change has occurred and 
instructing the caller to contact its IXC for further information. In 
developing an intercept message, LECs must consult with IXCs and reach 
agreement on the content of the message and on the period of time 
during which the message will be provided. These requirements are 
necessary to educate end users about their inability to reach carriers 
using five-digit access codes, and the need to dial seven-digit access 
codes instead.

    OMB Approval No.: 3060-0760.
    Title: Access Charge Reform--CC Docket No. 92-262, First Report and 
Order; Second Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and 
Order.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 14.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 128,906 hours per response (avg.).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and one-time reporting 
requirements.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,804,690 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: $31,200.
    Needs and Uses: In the First Report and Order, CC Docket No. 96-
262, Access Charge Reform and the Second Order on Reconsideration and 
Memorandum Opinion and Order, the FCC adopts, that, consistent with 
principles of cost-causation and economic efficiency, nontraffic 
sensitive (NTS) costs associated with local switching should be 
recovered on an NTS basis, through flat-rated, per month charges. a. 
Showings under the Market-Based Approach: As competition develops in 
the market, the FCC will gradually relax and ultimately remove existing 
Part 69 federal access rate structure requirements and Part 61 price 
caps restrictions on rate level changes. Regulatory reform will take 
place in two phases. The first phase of regulatory reform will take 
place when an incumbent Local Exchange Carrier's (LEC) network has been 
opened to competition for interstate access services. The second phase 
of rate structure reforms will take place when an actual competitive 
presence has developed in the marketplace. LECs

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may have to submit certain information to demonstrate that they have 
met the standards. b. Cost Study of Local Switching Costs: Price cap 
LEC are required to conduct a cost study to determine the 
geographically-average portion of local switching costs that is 
attributable to the line-side ports, and to dedicated trunk side cards 
and ports. c. Cost Study of Interstate Access Service that Remain 
Subject to Price Cap Regulation: To implement our backstop to market-
based access charge reform, we require each incumbent price cap LEC to 
file a cost study no later than February 8, 2001, demonstrating the 
cost of providing those interstate access services that remain subject 
to price cap regulation because they do not face substantial 
competition. d. Tariff Filings: The Commission requires the filing of 
various tariffs. e. Third-Party Disclosure: In the Second Order on 
Reconsideration, the Commission requires LECs to provide IXCs with 
customer-specific information about how many and what type of 
presubscribed interexchange carrier charges (PICCs) they are assessing 
for each of the IXC's presubscribed customers. One of the primary goals 
of the First Report and Order was to develop a cost-recovery mechanism 
that permits carriers to recover their costs in a manner that reflects 
the way in which those costs are incurred. Without access to 
information that indicates whether the LEC is assessing a primary or 
non-primary residential PICC, or about how many local business lines 
are presubscribed to a particular IXC, the IXCs will be unable to 
develop rates that accurately reflect the underlying costs. The 
information required under these Orders would be used in determining 
whether the incumbent LECs should receive the regulatory relief 
proposed in the Orders. The information collected under the Second 
Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and Order would be 
submitted by the LECs to the interxchange carriers (IXCs) for use in 
developing the most cost-efficient rates and rate structures.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-756 Filed 1-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P